


The Price is LIFE

by ohjustdisarmalready



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: .......i mean he's still sans but, A Plethora of Trust Issues Wrapped Up In an Expectation For Violence, Backstory, Big Brother Sans (Undertale), Child Abandonment, Choose Your Own Adventure Components, Determination (Undertale), Frisk (Undertale) Is a Sweetheart, Gen, Gender-Neutral Frisk (Undertale), Worldbuilding for the Surface, child endangerment, in a shocking turn of events sans is the sane well-adjusted adult here, seriously this kid's been attacked by pretty much everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22949914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohjustdisarmalready/pseuds/ohjustdisarmalready
Summary: Frisk went to Mt. Ebott for a reason. Frisk knows exactly what's up there, in the world everyone wants to see so badly. Frisk would be happy to never see it again.“uh,” says sans. “we did get through the last FIGHT, right? there’s not something nasty waiting for us on the other side of that barrier?”Come to think of it, he doesn’t know why exactly Frisk ended up down here. He’d figured it was for the obvious reason, but…*No one is fighting anyone,Frisk says.*No one is fighting anyone. Because monsters will never go to the Surface.
Relationships: Frisk & Sans (Undertale), Frisk & Toriel (Undertale), Sans & Toriel (Undertale)
Comments: 38
Kudos: 152





	1. But It Refused.

**Author's Note:**

> see? see? it's a pun off The Price is Right,,,,,,,,
> 
> This is a whole 'verse that I've been playing with in my head, I have a couple of ideas that take place in it. I figured I'd put out the introduction to the universe and see how people like it before deciding whether to write more in it or something else. Please lmk what you think!

When sans wakes up (when did he go to sleep?), he’s in a dark cavern.

Which makes sense, because he lives in a dark cavern, and has all his life.

But wasn’t there…something…? He’d followed Papyrus to the castle, the human—Frisk.

The human has a name, and it’s Frisk. Somehow, he can be certain of this. Maybe a time travel thing?

Hmm. Food for thought. Sans decides to not think about it.

From what he can see without moving his head at all, he’s still in the room with the barrier. Maybe not time travel, then. The barrier’s glow is…redder than usual? Orange? And faint, too. It’s normally much brighter than this, isn’t it?

His newfound certainty tells him that the barrier is gone, that that glow is from the sun rising on the Surface, and that Frisk is responsible for this—the barrier, not the sunrise.

Is it worth turning his head to check? He gave up on ever leaving this place a long time ago. Is it really worth getting his hopes up for freedom?

“WOWIE! Looks like the barrier is gone! That’s neat!”

Oh, nice. Papyrus is here. It’s probably fine, then.

“And! Th-the human! Is…taking a nap????” Papyrus’s voice cracks.

Oh, fuck.

Well, there’s sans’s ‘sense of crushing failure’ quota for the year. Door lady meets him for the first time and he immediately passes out while her human dies. Great.

Welp.

“My child…?” Toriel’s familiar voice stamps home his absolute failure to protect her kid. Shit, fuck. Poor kiddo. He’d really thought…

“Ah. It appears they are sleeping. See, Papyrus? They are still breathing. Humans only breathe when they are alive and well,” Toriel explains.

Sans closes his eyes for a quiet sigh of his own.

Oh, thank hell. DETERMINATION wins again.

Sans can’t say he loves what that stuff can do, but the h— _Frisk_ is as full of it as anyone he’s ever seen, and apparently, it let them do the impossible. The barrier is broken and they’re not dead, just sleeping. Probably resting off the burnout of too much DETERMINATION at once. It’s going to be…alright, maybe.

Things might just be OK.

The thought gives Sans enough strength to open his eyes and get up. Time to face the day, and all.

* * *

Facing the day turns out to be a lot like sitting vigil. The kid sleeps for hours and hours, sometimes squirming, sometimes crying out in pain. Trying to wake them does nothing but provoke more whimpers, so Toriel demands that they all give the kid space.

Around six hours in, Asgore retreats back to his kingly duties. He clearly wants to stay, but Toriel just as clearly wants him to leave, so he mutters something about getting ready to move and glances over his shoulder a whole lot as he goes. Undyne goes with him for emotional support, and Alphys for logistical support, and Papyrus for…enthusiasm support?

Sans should probably do something, too, but frankly, the kiddo has the right idea. And Toriel is with them, too. A new friend and an old friend and an excuse to nap; right here is exactly where sans wants to be.

Frisk sure takes their time waking up, but that’s fine. If there’s anything sans and Toriel have in common (besides their senses of humor, that is), it’s patience.

It’s around the fifteen-hour mark when the kid stops squirming and crying out and starts straight-up crying. Toriel’s heart is breaking immediately. Sans’s is, too, a little. The legendary fallen angel who saved the monsters is looking an awful lot like a little kid in pain right now.

Toriel begins to speak softly to them.

“It is just a bad dream, my child. You will wake up, and it will be over. We will…I will make you a cinnamon-butterscotch pie, and you can tell me of your adventures. All is well,” she soothes. She runs a careful paw over Frisk’s hair and gives sans a strained smile.

Her tone is soft, but her eyes are frightened. She could probably do with some reassurance right now. Support. A friend?

Ah, fuck, but sans isn’t good at this. Never really has been, with anyone but Papyrus. He can try, though.

“uh, what she said. i’ve heard a lot about this pie, frisk, are ya really gonna make me wait to try it out? besides, uh, that time i tried making it. trust me, kiddo: the less said about that, the better.”

His attempt at pie hadn’t actually been _bad_ per se, but Toriel is giving a brave giggle, so sans can excuse a white lie. The kid is still silently crying.

“aw, buddy, you’ve got the wrong baked good…it’s cake that’s s’posed to be in _tiers_ ,” he says. Toriel gives a tremulous smile.

Frisk sobs and thrashes.

“Frisk…!” Toriel pets their hair harder. Their head moves a little with each stroke. “This is all just a bad dream…! Please, wake up…!”

And after a way-too-long nap, the kid does.

Frisk gasps awake, panting and still teary, and Toriel immediately backs up, giving them space. All of her fear melts away like it was never there, replaced with a gentle smile.

Wow. Being a parent must take a lot of work. Looking at the love in Toriel’s eyes now, though, and the way the kiddo instantly turns to her and relaxes, it looks…well, Sans can see why she wants so badly to mother them. The way the kid’s face is now, you’d think nothing could hurt them while Toriel’s around.

It must be…nice, to be needed like that.

“Oh! You are awake! Thank goodness!” Toriel says. She clasps her hands in front of her.

Frisk frowns and looks around, bringing one hand up to touch the tear tracks on their face. They look between sans and Toriel, and then at the otherwise empty room around them.

“you were out for a bit there, bud. i mean, i’m all for sleeping, but maybe get to a bed next time, yeah?” sans suggests. Frisk keeps looking around them for something…someone?

Whatever it is, it doesn’t come. Frisk makes a small, sad noise and hugs themself.

Toriel looks to be physically restraining herself from going over there and wrapping them in a hug. To be fair, looking at their face, you’d think their brother died or something. But before she can decide whether to try to comfort them or not, Frisk points to the east, where the barrier had been.

“Oh, the barrier?” Toriel asks. Frisk nods.

“Ah. The barrier has fallen. The room to the east leads outside, now.” Toriel inches forward, like Frisk won’t notice her getting closer if she’s sneaky about it.

Frankly, sans isn’t sure why she doesn’t just give in and give the kid a hug or something. Frisk clearly needs one, and it isn’t gonna come from sans. He chalks it up to some parental instinct telling her the kid needs space, or something.

“We were waiting for you to wake up before we leave. I believe your other friends are letting everyone know to get ready,” Toriel says.

Frisk stares at sans.

“who, me?” he asks. “nah. that looked like a lot of effort. just let me know when you’re ready to go.”

They cock their head. Toriel seems to take this as a sign to sweep them into a gentle embrace and cuddle them close. They don’t seem to mind.

“Say your goodbyes, my child. We will be waiting here when you are ready,” she says, giving them a squeeze before setting them back on the ground. Frisk’s brow creases.

* _For sure?_ they ask, looking intensely at Toriel.

Her heart visibly melts. “You may take all the time you need, my child. It seems you have made a great many friends since I last saw you. We will be patient while you prepare whatever you need to.”

Frisk insists. * _Promise you won’t go up before I come back?_

Toriel kneels down to their height, and says solemnly, “I promise, my child.”

Frisk transfers their heavy look to sans. Ah, he should have known better than to think he’d escape.

“who, me? heh, i’m in no hurry.” He’s really not. In fact…he grabs Frisk’s stick off the ground where it fell earlier. “i’ve got time to ‘stick’ around.”

He makes a cymbal crash in the background and winks. Toriel laughs out loud; Frisk smiles a little, but doesn’t lose the stress lines on their face.

* _You two should say goodbye, too,_ says Frisk. They fidget with the hem of their sweater, hunched over like it’s a heavy weight.

“Thank you for your thought, child, but I have been prepared to leave this place for a long time. I have said my goodbyes,” Toriel says, petting Frisk’s hair. Frisk flinches at the reminder of the monsters’ long imprisonment.

Frisk looks to sans as they lean into Toriel’s paw like they’ve never been pet before. It’s almost too cute.

sans shrugs. “i don’t have to say goodbye to anything. we’re all making it to the surface together, right? it’s a nice day. nothing lost.”

Frisk looks down at the ground, pushing into Toriel’s paw a little more before reaching up to remove it.

* _I have to go get something. Don’t leave without me_ , they say.

“Of course, child,” says Toriel. “I promised, did I not? We will not leave you.”

Ah, is that where this is coming from? Abandonment issues? That sucks. Poor kid. Well, least sans can do is offer them some peace of mind while they run their errand.

“sure, kid,” he says, deliberately casual. Like waiting around here instead of seeing the sky for the very first time is just whatever.

Eh. He wants to wait for Papyrus to go out, anyway. It won’t be any fun without his brother—Paps’s reactions are half the fun, here.

Frisk sticks out their smallest finger.

“huh? what’s that?” sans asks—but luckily, Toriel seems to know.

“Ah…you want us to give you a ‘Pinkie Promise’? Would that make you feel better?” she asks. Frisk nods solemnly.

“Very well. I ‘Pinkie Promise,’” Toriel says, holding out her paw. Frisk carefully wraps their finger around her smallest claw and makes a handshake motion.

So, a Pinkie Promise is…like a promise with a handshake? Or something?

When the weight of Frisk’s expectation falls back to sans, he hedges, “eh, i’m not one to make promises…”

Toriel gives him an amused glance, probably under the impression that Frisk doesn’t know about his promise to her. Whoops. Well, it all turned out alright.

Frisk continues to stare at him.

“that look on your face…” sans sighs. “you’re not leaving until you get a promise out of me, are you?”

They’d do it, too. Frisk had worn _Undyne_ down until she didn’t want to kill them anymore; they’d definitely stare sans down until he broke—however long it took. Even if they can’t outlast him in patience, they do beat him out in determination.

No use delaying the inevitable. There are worse fates than waiting around for the kid.

“you’re really making me pull my _wait_ here,” he tells them. “but fine, if it’ll take a _wait_ off your shoulders. i’ll be here until you come back.”

He offers them his pinkie, which they grasp firmly and bounce once. The most sacred of vows is made.

Frisk offers him a solemn nod before they scurry off to parts unknown.

* * *

It’s not long at all before Frisk returns—just long enough that Toriel has remembered that she didn’t bring anything for Frisk, and that they might need any of the things kids need on the surface. Or, sans suspects, she’s remembered that she wants to make them a pie. She’s talked often enough–and fondly—about how she used to prepare a special pie for her children…she asked sans to stay and wait for Frisk, and to let them know that she hasn’t abandoned them and will in fact be returning with a surprise, and that she is very excited to see the surface with them. sans had to promise _again_ (ugh, commitment) that he wouldn’t leave until Frisk came back, just to stop her from worrying herself out of it.

Not that he’d mind her company while he waits around, but she’s talked once or twice about how much she misses hearing little feet run through her home. If she wants to do something nice for the kid, he’s not gonna stop her.

It helps if he doesn’t think of this as another promise, just…reinforcing his earlier one. As long as he doesn’t go outside before Frisk comes back, he’s golden. Can’t be more than a few days, at most.

And speak of the human, Frisk is already darting back down the hall, out of breath. Were they sprinting?

Huh. They’ve barely been gone twenty minutes, and already they’re scampering back like he might have disappeared while they were gone.

Those are some abandonment issues. sans can understand why Toriel was so worried about stepping out for a minute.

He adjusts his posture to be even a touch lazier, deliberately not looking to the east. _see, kiddo? just waiting, like i said. nothing to worry about._

Out loud, he says, “that was fast. take a shortcut?”

 _*No_ , Frisk says, solemn. They glance around the room and…falter. _*Mom?_

Right, right. “she said she’s comin’ right back. went off to get something ready. just between you and me, kid, there might be a surprise in your future.”

He winks his left eye, but the kid’s returned smile is off. A little too tense around the eyes as they process this information, before they shake their head a touch too firmly and walk to the eastern end of the room.

Sans strolls behind them, but keeps his distance. They’re looking pretty worked up.

They’re only getting tenser as they approach the doorway to the Surface. sans has a bad feeling about this.

“you know, if you wanted to go with tori, i’m sure you could. she’s a real nice lady, be happy to see you. besides, i know a shortcut. we could catch up with her in no time,” sans offers. Heh, literally no time…because no time would pass while he’s taking his shortcut…

The kid is stone-faced. Well, they can’t all be winners.

Well, they’re less stone-faced and more…biting their lip and clutching something in their pocket, shifting back and forth on their feet like they can’t decide where to go. Indecision weakens the rigid line of their shoulders for a moment and their foot creeps an inch towards him, but they don’t turn around, staring at the portal to the world they’re from and wavering.

Then their resolve firms up, and they take the last step to stand in the doorway where the barrier had been. They go no further. They turn their back on the surface, and face sans, but don’t meet his eye. Their hair falls in their face and they don’t move it aside.

They’re, uh.

“lookin’ pretty fierce, there, kiddo,” sans says gently—cautiously. “getting ready to face the world?”

He doesn’t like that look at all. The squared stance, feet placed apart but poised to move in any direction, the broad set to their shoulders—it’s like they’re…filling up space? Trying to look bigger than they are?—no, it’s like they’re…putting down roots. Unstoppable force turned immovable object. Like they’re gearing up for a fight, or like they’re protecting something.

Protecting something, but not necessarily from sans—or at least, not sans alone. Their head is cocked slightly to hear behind them, and their weight centered to spin. Evidently they don’t plan on giving ground in any direction.

Now, sans has seen Frisk do a lot of things. Nonsensical things, funny things, concerning things, sad things. But even before their almost-fight with Asgore, he’s never seen them really prepare to FIGHT. Even in front of Undyne, when sans had been dead certain they would kill or be killed, they’d darted away again and again. He was pretty sure they’d been planning to sprint through the rest of the Underground with her on their tail, if she hadn’t had some trouble with Hotland.

It had given him…a lot of confidence, actually. Every time he’d seen no way around violence—their battles with Muffet, the guards in Hotland, Mettaton’s live TV battle with them, Jerry—he’d looked back at it all before meeting them for judgement. There were a lot of encounters Frisk had had with absurdly specific or seemingly random solutions. sans had thought most times that the only way for them to get through was to kill the monster in question. Not out of malice, but because their opponents would have killed Frisk, for the most part, without a second thought.

It takes a certain kind of person to ACT instead of FIGHT back when the monsters around them are choosing to FIGHT each turn. Gambling their own life in the hopes that they’d be able to SPARE someone who wouldn’t do the same for them…even if sans’s vague suspicions about their DETERMINATION are correct, there’s only so many times DT can bring a person back from the brink. They’d risked a lot to find a peaceful route that sans would have given up on, if he were them.

Frisk has shown time and time again that they’re DETERMINED to avoid killing anyone. Even when it would be understandable, even when it would be _smart_. They’re a pacifist, through and through.

So what brings a person like that to stand where the barrier had been, trembling violently, but preparing for the FIGHT of their life?

“uh,” says sans. He’s not really sure how to handle this. “we _did_ get through the last FIGHT, right? there’s not something nasty waiting for us on the other side of that barrier?”

Come to think of it, he doesn’t know why exactly Frisk ended up down here. He’d figured it was for the obvious reason, but…

Frisk won’t look at him. They stay tense. That looks exhausting.

“bud,” sans says. “buddy. frisk.”

He takes a step forward—he can’t see their eyes, but he knows they’re watching him like a hawk. Their whole body shifts to track him, while keeping their guard up behind them.

 _*No one is fighting anyone_ , they say.

Sans gives them an obvious once-over. They’re more geared for a fight than just about anyone in the Underground, right now.

He takes another step. “sure doesn’t look that way.”

_*No one is fighting anyone. Because monsters will never go to the Surface._

So that’s how it is.

The FIGHT begins.


	2. FIGHT! Start!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's your turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **This part of the story is interactive.** Each of sans's actions were/are decided by reader feedback, from the list of options at the end of the chapter. If anyone's curious about mechanics:
> 
> Check, observe, and spare are all passive moves; sans will appear to do nothing and Frisk will continue any dialogue they're currently in. If they're not in a multi-turn dialogue, they'll react as if sans did nothing.
> 
> Joke is a situational buff/debuff. It can affect stats, dialogue options, and increase the effectiveness of other ACTs. But be careful, making light of someone's misery isn't always a good idea.
> 
> Talk will generally provide a prompt for dialogue, which Frisk will respond to or won't. Unless it's specified to be on the same topic, this will replace any current multi-turn dialogue.
> 
> Items will have unique effects based on situation and appropriateness.
> 
> Unless otherwise specified, "attack" will assume intent to kill.

*FRISK blocks the way!

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[* **check** ] [talk] [joke] [observe]

FRISK – LV 1 EXP 0 – ATK 10(+15) DEF 10(+15)

*filled with determination.  
*and not much else.

* * *

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [joke] [* **observe** ]

*Frisk is wearing Heart Locket (+15 DEF).  
*Frisk is wielding [unknown] (+15 ATK).  
*you cannot see Frisk’s weapon while their hand is in their pocket.  
*Frisk cannot attack while their hand is in their pocket.

* * *

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [joke] [* **observe** ]

*Frisk’s expression says that they are waiting for you to attack them.  
*Frisk’s low DEF says that they will not try very hard to stop you.

* * *

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [* **joke** ] [observe]

“i’m not much of a fighter, sorry. seems too much like work. any chance we can solve this one with a nap and a trip to grillby’s? your treat.”

*FRISK smiles slightly. ATK drops [10(+15) → 0(+15)]!

* * *

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [joke] [* **observe** ]

*Frisk is holding their weapon very tightly in their pocket. They are shaking a little.  
*doesn't look like they’ll be attacking any time soon.  
*it’s gonna be hard for them to win if they won’t FIGHT.

* * *

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [* **joke** ] [observe]

“hey, uh, kiddo. how do you win a fight with a hole in the ground?”

_*…_

*they’re unresponsive.

“you, heh…you don’t have to. they always ‘cave’ in the end.”

*you’re off to a ‘rocky’ start.

* * *

_*…_

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** ] [joke] [observe]

“…so. here we are. gotta say, this wasn’t what i was expecting. what’s your plan here, kiddo? you just gonna fight anyone who tries to go past you? be the new barrier? forever?”

* * *

*FRISK is contemplating the Surface.

FRISK: * _Please give up. Go back home._

*FRISK is filled with DETERMINATION.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : about the Surface] [joke] [observe]

“welp. since i’m never gonna see it, mind telling me something about the surface? what’s it like up there?”

* _…_

“c’mon, you can talk to me. it’s your old buddy sans. don’t you trust me?”

* * *

*FRISK is contemplating the Surface.

FRISK: * _…it’s bad. Really bad. And dangerous. Really bad. Down here is better. And safer. It’s better for everyone to be down here._

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [joke] [* **observe** ]

*Frisk is crying.  
*they may keep talking, with some patience.  
*despite everything…they do trust you.  
*a little bit.

*you don’t think Frisk got to Mt. Ebott by accident.

* * *

*FRISK is remembering.

FRISK: * _No one is going to go up there, ever. Never. I’m sorry. This is for the best._

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : what changed your mind?] [joke] [investigate]

“you seemed pretty gung-ho about getting out earlier. why the sudden change, buddy? you’ve spent all this time trying to get back to the surface and now you don’t even want to.”

* * *

FRISK: * _…_

FRISK: * _I didn’t come here to kill Asgore and cross the barrier. I was never gonna do that._

FRISK: * _…I didn’t come here to give up my SOUL, either._

* * *

*Frisk is taking deep breaths.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [joke] [* **observe** ]

*Frisk is holding both hands out in front of them protectively.  
*Frisk is wielding Worn Dagger (+15 ATK).

*Frisk trusts you with the truth…  
*but they don’t trust you not to hurt them once you have it.

* * *

FRISK: * _I wanted to let all of the other humans’ SOULs free._

FRISK: * _I came here to the capital to let them go. So no monster could use one to get to the surface, and any other humans that fall down here would be killed._

FRISK: * _I was gonna take away everyone’s hope. I was gonna make all the humans after me die. I made a plan and I worked really hard and I kept going even when it hurt and I was tired and it felt bad and I wanted to stop. Because I don’t want anyone from the surface to come here, ever. I don’t want the people on the mountain to be here and kill you and Mom and everyone and—_

FRISK: * _I was gonna take everyone’s hopes and dreams away from them. I was never gonna set anyone free. I know you deserve to see the sky and I still decided to take that away from you. I didn’t want to grant your wish._

* * *

*Frisk is awaiting your attack.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [* **joke** ] [observe]

“wow. you’re, uh, _really_ bad at this.”

*…

“i mean, start to finish. you wanted us to not trust humans, so you made friends with…literally everyone. you wanted the barrier to stay, so you took it down. you wanted someone to get mad at you and kill you, but you picked a fight with the weakest monster in the underground. i mean, seriously—i could only do 1 dmg to you, even if i really wanted to fight you. you really ‘boned’ this one up, heh.”

“c’mon, you have to admit it’s a little bit funny.”

*FRISK is stunned. DEF drops [10(+15) → 0(+15)]!

* * *

FRISK: * _Why aren’t you attacking me? Attack me._

FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*your opponent is dropping their guard.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : you’re protecting the monsters] [joke] [observe]

“nope. you’re… _really_ bad at it, but you’re trying to protect us, aren’t you? seems like attacking you would be pretty nasty of me. and a lot of work. i’m good.”

* * *

FRISK: * _Fight me or go home. I’m not letting you pass._

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*your opponent is wide open for an attack.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : what now?] [joke] [observe]

“about that, actually. imagine with me. let’s say i do go home. what happens next?”

* * *

*FRISK is faltering.

FRISK: * _I…I stay here. I don’t know. I…stop everyone?_

FRISK: * _I stop everyone. We’re here forever. I’ll stay here and I won’t let anyone leave. Everyone is safe._

*if they really didn’t want anyone to leave the Underground, it seems like there would be better ways to go about it.

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [joke] [* **observe** ]

*that expression on their face…  
*they look like they’re carrying something very heavy.  
*is it possible that Frisk doesn’t want to win this FIGHT?

* * *

FRISK: * _No one is going to go up there and die and leave me all alone! I won’t let it happen. The only way for you to progress is if you kill me. Fight me or give up._

*FRISK is filled with DETERMINATION.

* * *

*A lost soul is calling out for help.

[FIGHT] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : no one is going to hurt you] [joke] [observe]

“frisk…you, uh, you know how monsters can care about people pretty quickly, huh?”

“kiddo, if the only way up is over your dead body, i think we’d rather just stay down here.”

* * *

FRISK: * _?_

FRISK: * _You don’t understand._

*FRISK passes their turn.

* * *

*A lost soul is calling out for help.

[FIGHT] [ACT] [ITEM] [* **MERCY** ]

[* **spare** ] [flee]

* * *

FRISK: * _If you kill me, your wish will be granted. That’s why it’s OK. You want your wish to be granted. You’re going to kill me. Sooner or later, you’ll want it bad enough to kill me. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of running away._

FRISK: * _You’re a really nice person, sans. You’ve been really nice to me._ _Don’t you deserve to have your wish granted?_

*FRISK is contemplating the Surface.

* * *

*smells like tragedy.

[FIGHT] [ACT] [* **ITEM** ] [MERCY]

[* **stick** ]

*you pick up the stick from the ground.  
*as a monster, you aren’t very proficient with physical attacks.

sans ATK: [1 → 0(+0)]

* * *

*FRISK is trying to understand.

FRISK: * _What are you doing?_

FRISK: * _Did I do a bad job explaining…?_

* * *

*You cannot pass…?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [ACT] [ITEM] [* **MERCY** ]

[* **spare** ] [flee]

FRISK: * _Stop that._

* * *

FRISK: * _Why are you doing this?_

FRISK: * _Monsters are really strange…_

FRISK: * _Don’t you know what people on the Surface would do for this chance? Don’t you have any wishes you want to come true?_

* * *

*FRISK is preparing a CHECK.

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [ACT] [ITEM] [MERCY]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In addition to an action this chapter: would you like to manipulate the results of Frisk's CHECK? sans can choose to show or hide any relevant stats, or to replace his flavor text with something else. He doesn't know what his default flavor text would be, so he doesn't know what he's replacing, but he can choose what shows up instead. If you don't choose to change anything, Frisk will see name, ATK, DEF, and the default flavor text.
> 
> sans's stats:  
> HP: 6/6  
> PHYS. ATK: 0(+0)  
> MAG. ATK: 1  
> DEF: 1  
> KR: -9999
> 
> I imagine, going by the HP=HOPE theory, that sans's HP is actually a good deal higher than 1 when all of his loved ones haven't been murdered by the end of the world incarnate. Still extremely low (Papyrus's is 680, for reference), but not 1.


	3. FIGHT! End!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know about LIFE, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna post this right before work and spend all the slow times checking my inbox and getting excited. That worked pretty well for me last time. Really gets me through a 6 hour shift selling things I can't eat with no breaks.......
> 
> I actually do like my job. Is that bad?

*FRISK is preparing a CHECK.

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [ACT] [ITEM] [* **MERCY** ]

[* **spare** ] [flee]

* * *

*FRISK performs a CHECK.

sans – ATK 0(+0) DEF 1

*this monster’s wish is for his friend to be ok.  
*that’s pretty incompatible with killing you.  
*maybe you could try something else…?

FRISK: * _You really…aren’t going to hurt me?_

* * *

*Frisk is contemplating the Underground.

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [ACT] [ITEM] [* **MERCY** ]

[* **spare** ] [flee]

* * *

FRISK: * _On the Surface…this wouldn’t happen. Maybe a long time ago. Maybe for someone else. But I’m…_

FRISK: * _Monster SOULs are made of love, and compassion, and hope, right?_

FRISK: * _But human SOULs are made of other stuff. Mine is made of DETERMINATION. On the Surface, they call it LIFE._

FRISK: * _Everyone has at least a little bit of LIFE. You know about that stuff, right?_

[of course, i know everything]  
[* **give me a refresher** ]  
[i slept through that class and ate my notes]

FRISK: * _Really? …okay. Will that help you give up? I guess I can…talk? About LIFE. And…then…you’ll go home? And let me protect everyone._

FRISK: * _What do you want me to talk about?_

* * *

*What do you want to know?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : what does it mean to have high life?] [joke] [observe]

"so, people with high life. what's that like?"

FRISK: * _Um…_

* * *

*FRISK is trying to organize their thoughts.

FRISK: * _Nowadays? I think there’s LIVELY people in special neighborhoods…? But they’re really hard to find. I was…um…my momma and my daddy and me were looking for them. My momma has a lot of LIFE. My daddy doesn’t have a lot at all._

FRISK: * _Um…people who have high LIFE…it’s supposed to be illegal to eat them. Unless they say you can before they die. But if you’re a church, it’s okay? I think? That’s why you have to run away when the Hunt finds you. Right?_

FRISK: * _I don’t know a lot about the laws…_

* * *

*What do you want to know?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [ACT] [ITEM] [* **MERCY** ]

[* **spare** ] [flee]

FRISK: * _Oh, do you want me to keep talking…? Okay._

* * *

*FRISK is thinking hard.

FRISK: * _Um, there’s the person with the highest LIFE, of course. They’re called…do I have to say it? I don’t like that word._

FRISK: * _People with really high LIFE sometimes have special powers? Some of them are different, but the person with the highest LIFE always has the EXTRA LIFE power. That’s how they won the Home War, right? Sorry, you probably know all about this. I don’t wanna make you bored. Um, was there anything else…?_

* * *

*What do you want to know?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : history of life] [joke] [observe]

"trust me, kiddo, i'm not even close to bored. what can you tell me about the history of life?"

FRISK: * _Oh, history? I always liked that subject. Momma and I would go out alone and talk about it. She’s…_

* * *

*FRISK is breathing shakily.

FRISK: * _…anyway. You don’t wanna hear about that stuff. You asked about history?_

FRISK: * _Uh, momma said humans didn’t discover LIFE for a long time, but I think maybe they forgot about it when they forgot about monsters…? ‘cause you guys know so much about it. I’m not sure. Did humans used to know about DETERMINATION?_

FRISK: * _But then people discovered it and the people without high LIFE were really scared of the people with really high LIFE. They treated them real bad, so the LIVELY people went away and hid with their special powers. After a long time, the human governments said they were sorry and promised to make it illegal to kill people for having high LIFE. Or to eat them. Unless it’s for church?_

FRISK: * _Well, the first time the humans were lying and it was a trap, but the second time they meant it. So the Home War ended and LIVELY people made adoption centers and stuff, so if you had a LIVELY baby and you didn’t want it, you could send it to the other LIVELY people easier. Um, that’s how it is today, anyway. Was that good? Did I miss anything?_

* * *

*What do you want to know?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [ACT] [ITEM] [* **MERCY** ]

[* **spare** ] [flee]

* * *

*FRISK is thinking hard.

FRISK: * _I guess…there’s the adoption centers? LIVELY people used to just, during the war, they all disappeared, right? And if parents with low LIFE had a kid, and they got tested and had a lot of LIFE, the LIVELY people would, uh, find out? ...I don’t know how. Then the kid would go away with them. But that’s illegal now that there’s not a war. So they set up places where parents can come with their kid and give them away to the other LIVELY people, if they want._

FRISK: * _They’re kind of hard to find, though. My momma thought maybe Mt. Ebott had one, ‘cause people come here and disappear, right? But I guess it just has the Underground, and LIVELY people just disappeared here ‘cause they fell._

FRISK: * _…I guess I disappeared, too?_

* * *

*Humans are fucked up.

*What do you want to know?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : (what the fuck? but tactfully)] [joke] [observe]

“uh. humans are…really…different, huh? that’s…”

FRISK: * _…are you okay, sans? You’re really sweaty._

“yeah, kiddo. doin’ great. we’re ok.”

* * *

*FRISK is concerned.

FRISK: * _Sorry. Um…sorry. I don’t know…how to help you? Um, do you get why you can’t go up now? It’s really dangerous. Down here is safe._

* * *

*Do you get it?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : let’s pretend i don’t know anything] [joke] [observe]

“uh, yeah…you’re clearing things up a lot. thanks bunches, buddy. but, wanna do me a real big favor?”

“let’s do this ‘explaining’ thing again, but this time, pretend i don’t know anything. like i’ve never even heard of determination. wanna try that out?”

FRISK: * _But you already know…? Okay. I guess I have nothing else to do right now._

* * *

*FRISK is trying to remember.

FRISK: * _Do you just want me to talk about everything like my momma said it to me? She used to be a teacher, before she had me. She could always make people get stuff._

FRISK: * _Um, LIFE is an important part of a person. It helps them get better when they’re sick or hurt, and we all need it to live. Some people, like me, have lots of LIFE, and they’re called LIVELY people. Other people like my daddy only have just enough to be alive. Most people are somewhere between._

* * *

*What do you want to know?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : cannibalism???] [joke] [observe]

“thanks, pal. doin’ me a real solid here. how’s about the eating-people thing, though? that’s, uh, that’s super illegal down here. definitely.”

*come to think of it, there might not be a law about that. asgore’s never needed to make one. what is wrong with humans?

* * *

FRISK: * _Really? The Underground is so nice…but wait, how would you absorb SOULs without…?_

*FRISK is confused.

FRISK: * _Um, during the War, people thought if you eat the heart of someone, you get their LIFE. So the Wild Hunt started looking for people with high LIFE, to eat them and get their LIFE. The more LIVELY, the better._

FRISK: * _The person with the very highest LIFE is really hard to kill, though. They get an EXTRA LIFE. So if they die…they can get a “second chance.” But…if you do kill them…you get to make a wish. Any wish. I don’t…know if you have to eat them or not? Momma said let’s not find out._

FRISK: * _I guess you would know, though. Or Alphys would, ‘cause she wished for the LIFE to keep monsters from “falling down,” right? And Asriel wished to take down the barrier, but it didn’t work right away, because he didn’t really want to hurt anyone? I don’t know what the other five wishes were, I didn’t talk to the other SOULs for very long. Do you know what they were?_

FRISK: * _...sans? where did your eyes go?_

* * *

*fuck.

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : reassure] [joke] [observe]

“my eyes? they’re on their union-mandated break. probably at grillbeye’s. don’t let ‘em order ketchup, though, or i’ll end up with a weird red circle on my face like some kind of nerd. besides, who goes to a restaurant and just orders ketchup?”

* * *

*FRISK is trying on a confused little smile.

FRISK: * _You’re silly._

“nah, i’m sans. sans the skeleton.”

* * *

*Frisk has been reassured. And distracted…for now.

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : what’s the connection between church and cannibalism?] [joke] [observe]

“so, you were talking about a church earlier. what’s with that?”

* * *

FRISK: * _Oh…the Wild Hunt? It’s a…cult? Or a church? I don’t know. What’s the difference?_

FRISK: * _I think they were really big during the War. But when the War ended, they didn’t wanna stop eating people’s hearts, so they asked if they could keep doing it if the people they eat said it was okay. So they get a special exception as long as they pretend like the person died by accident. They hunt LIVELY people in hidden places and eat them if they didn’t blend in good enough._

FRISK: * _Momma and daddy and me have to move whenever we see them. Momma says if we see a Huntsman, we’re…_

FRISK: * _Momma said if you see…you’re already…you’re s-sur-round—I—I don’t wanna talk about the Hunt._

* * *

*Frisk is looking into something far away.  
*You have a bad feeling…

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : where are your parents?] [joke] [observe]

“frisk…buddy. pal.”

FRISK: * _…_

“kiddo…”

FRISK: * _……_

“frisk. be honest with me about something, yeah? right now, today…where are your parents?”

* * *

*FRISK is drawing on their DETERMINATION.

FRISK: * _My—m-momma—maybe might have gotten away…I didn’t see…she said…she said to daddy that she told him so, ‘cause she told him I’d be the—I’d be the…she always told daddy that keeping me would be the death of them. And she—she left. ‘cause she has a lot of LIFE, so maybe they’d follow her…_

FRISK: * _My daddy, he stayed with me…they thought he was the human with the most LIFE. So he made me…he made me start over and try again until we got far enough and he could…he pushed me and I…I fell._

FRISK: * _My human parents…are dead, sans. As soon as I go back up there…all I’m gonna find is the Hunt. And they’ll know my momma and my daddy weren’t the human with the highest LIFE. The Surface…it’s not safe. Not anywhere, not ever. Not for me._

* * *

*You cannot pass.

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : the human with the highest life] [joke] [observe]

“so the human with the highest life…”

* * *

FRISK: * _You still…really won’t hurt me, right? For sure?_

FRISK: * _…I trust you. You’ve been really nice to me. And you didn’t kill me for stopping you._

*FRISK is filled with DETERMINATION.

FRISK: * _What do you want to know about me?_

* * *

*What do you want to know?

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [* **talk** : why didn’t you tell anyone earlier?] [joke] [observe]

“uh…heh, this is some…real important stuff here, frisk. why wait ‘til now and tell it to a bonehead like me? you know how i am with stuff like responsibility…this is more work than i’ve done in forever, and we’re just having a chat between friends. i’m not the guy to decide the future of the world. i just stand here and judge your decisions.”

* * *

FRISK: * _It didn’t seem important when I was just gonna stop everyone from going up anyway. And I kind of thought you already knew? And other stuff was going on, and…well, mostly…the reason I decided to FIGHT, and tell you what I was doing even if you killed me, it was just, I…_

*FRISK is finally meeting your eyes. That expression on their face…  
*…they really do have more ‘love’ than ‘LOVE.’

FRISK: * _…you didn’t get a wish._

* * *

*…

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [* **ACT** ] [ITEM] [MERCY]

[* **FRISK** ]

[check] [talk] [* **joke** ] [observe]

“heh…no? sorry, kiddo. i’m not much of a believer in wishes.”

FRISK: * _I know._

* * *

FRISK: * _You ‘gave up a long time ago,’ right? So…you must need a wish more than anyone. But you haven’t killed me._

FRISK: * _Not even once._

FRISK: * _So when you kept talking to me, when I was getting ready to stop anyone from going up, and nobody else was around…I wanted to give you a chance. I wanted there to be a world…_

FRISK: * _Even if it’s just once, I wanted there to be a world where you killed the human with the highest LIFE and you got your wish._

*FRISK is smiling gently. DEF drops [0(+15) → -9999(+15)]!

* * *

*Imagine a world in which you get your wish…  
*FRISK’s name is yellow.  
*sigh. It’s a nice thought.

“...thanks, frisk. seriously. you don’t know what this means to me. but, uh…”

[FIGHT] [MAGIC] [ACT] [ITEM] [* **MERCY** ]

[flee] [* **spare** ]

“…i’m gonna go with no. you’re kind of right that i have a wish, and it was…really important to me, once…but i’ve learned something, you know? things aren’t so bad here. sometimes it’s better to want what you have, than to hurt someone else. do you understand?”

“i guess, what i’m saying is…thanks, but no thanks. i’m not gonna kill you, kid. heh-heh…what kind of monster do you think i am, anyway…?”

*FRISK has accepted your MERCY.

*YOU WON!  
*you earned 0 exp and 0 gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You did it! Congratulations, you beat the FIGHT!


	4. A Priceless Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sans has a genius plan. He's pretty great at being a responsible adult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done it...I've concluded the story. I've provided a satisfying narrative arc. finally I am An Writer
> 
> Also, the extremely valid question of why no one has noticed any of this going down has come up. But! I do have an explanation. The Barrier room is already super removed from anything and everything; like, 4 rooms away from where anyone would have a reason to be. And I had mentioned that Frisk was asleep for most of a day. So there's not really a reason for someone to drop by during the half hour or so this confrontation has taken up, if they weren't there before. That's my thoughts, anyway. If you want to imagine a whole huddle of monsters eavesdropping on all of this, that is also totally allowed and hilarious.

sans takes a subtle, deep breath and lets it out through his ribs.

…then another.

And another.

* _…skeleton monster,_ says Frisk.

“…what?” sans cracks his eyes open again to look at Frisk.

* _What kind of monster…skeleton monster. I think you’re a skeleton monster…?_ Frisk watches sans attentively for a laugh or a smile.

Oh, this kid is _incredible_. sans grins through a hearty chuckle. Ten seconds out of an outright crisis and they’re trying to meet him with a joke…can he keep them? Other humans are garbage anyway, apparently. That means he can totally keep them, right?

Frisk brightens and relaxes immediately at his reaction, smiling tentatively. They still have a heavy storm over their shoulders, but they’re making an effort to work through it. There’s that DETERMINATION—LIFE, apparently. Somehow it’s…a little less terrifying, knowing that this is the only human with this level of DT. If there had to be an anomaly—and it seems that someone always does have this “EXTRA LIVES” ability—he’s glad it was Frisk.

Fuck, though. LIFE. That’s…nope. No, nope, he’s not dealing with that right now. That’s so many types of fucked up, and he’s going to get notes on it all and analyze it to death later, but he does not need that existential dread right now. He needs to be present in the moment—he actually, really needs to put forward an effort. There’s a kid who called him for help, and they desperately need a hand up from the edge; which apparently no one else has given, since they came to _him_ for help.

Him. sans the skeleton. Disastrously failed physicist, barely-scraping-by brother, absolutely useless employee, and precisely nobody’s first choice when they really need help.

Frisk _sought out_ his help. Even Papyrus knows he’s too weak to bring worries and fears to; Alphys only ever confided in him when she had no one else to turn to. But Frisk…trusted him to help them. Maybe they didn’t think of it that way, but when their back was to the wall, they didn’t go find somebody else. They scurried right on back to him to panic, to ask for help. sans the skeleton, for once in his life, was exactly who was needed.

It’s almost incomprehensible as a concept. And the situation surrounding precisely _why_ he Frisk needed help is completely fucked. But still, it feels kind of…nice. Like he’s not a total fuck-up. That’s…pretty cool.

He doesn’t know what to do with…humans. The Surface. Cannibalistic cults. Any of that is way beyond his paygrade. But he helped someone. Someone who’s looking at him like he personally picked up the crushed pieces of the world and is talking about maybe putting them back together again.

Heh…so this is what “trying” is like. He’d nearly forgotten the feeling.

Frisk creeps forward, clinging to the wall that the Barrier used to cover. Their smile falls a little into a more serious expression, but nothing on the stone-faced desperation that took them over before. They have some light in their eyes now. A touch of life in their step.

* _…what now?_ they ask, almost reluctantly.

“hm?”

sans knows perfectly well what they’re talking about, but he wants to get a read on where they’re at with it. They’ve had quite a long day, after all—and they’ve been awake for less than an hour, by his estimate.

* _You said try something else…but I don’t have any ideas…_

They scuff their shoes on the cave floor, shamefaced. * _I did…really bad, didn’t I? I don’t have any ideas now. I don’t know…_

“hey, it’s ok. i have a brilliant plan,” sans says.

Frisk looks a little skeptical. Fair. sans really doesn’t have any ideas about what to do with the Surface, or LIFE, or any of it. But what sans does have is a very good sense of responsibility—that is, a very good sense of when something isn’t his responsibility.

As far as sans can tell, all he has to do is help Frisk out with this, because they came to him(????) for help, and direct the political stuff to someone whose job it is to deal with it. That is, to someone who is not a small child still recovering from the traumatic deaths of both of their biological parents.

Seems like all that boils down to convincing Frisk that they are not solely responsible for deciding the fate of the world anymore, and that they are in fact a traumatized child who needs help. The Barrier’s down; they’ve done their part. Time for a break.

Frisk is probably not totally on board with that conclusion yet, but sans has been met with surprising success persuading them to change their mind so far. He’d have thought he wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hotland changing the mind of someone with that much DETERMINATION, but apparently people are willing to listen to you when they trust and respect you. Wild.

“ok. genius plan. are you ready? i’m about to blow your socks off. not to get cocky or anything, but it’s pretty incredible,” he says.

Frisk nods rapidly, their eyes big and round and bright. They’re hanging on to his every word.

“ok. so. i’m thinking here, let’s go find someone else to deal with this.”

Frisk’s expression falls. They’re not ready to give up responsibility for this timeline. Jeez, who taught this kid to be responsible? Seems like they did too good of a job.

“hey, i’m serious,” sans encourages. “we’ve got, like, a monster king and a royal guard and everything, it’s their job to do stuff like this. politics and diplomacy. are you a politician?”

Frisk reluctantly shakes their head.

“great,” says sans. “neither am i. sound to me like our job is to tell someone in charge what’s what, and then take a break. we’ve both done a whole lot of work today, buddy. time to take a nap. that’s my favorite time.”

Frisk tugs on their sleeve, creeping even a little closer to sans, nearly in arm’s reach. They clearly want to believe him…but they just as clearly have some reservations.

“what, you don’t believe me? we’ve both done our jobs super well today.”

Frisk’s mouth tugs down at the side and they look away.

“here, i’ll show you. you’re a kid, so your job is to call for help when something is wrong, right? you did great. you told me what the problem was, and what you wanted to do about it. right?” sans prods.

Frisk teeters their hand in a so-so motion.

“i mean, next time, you could tell me what’s wrong without trying to get me to fight you. but we’re gonna chalk that one up to a learning experience, ok? i think you can do better next time. this time, i’m gonna give you an ‘a’ for effort,” he says. “and i’m great at being a responsible adult, so i did fantastic. we’re great at this.”

Frisk giggles like they might doubt him a little, but sans is actually halfway serious about this one. There were…probably not many ways for this crisis to come through without anyone getting hurt. Anything that works without dust, blood, and grief is a win in his book.

“so, what i’m thinking is, since we aced this one, we talk to king fluffybuns for a minute and then go get some nice cream. we can go roast some ‘dogs on undyne’s house fire, too. howzabout it?” sans proposes. He actually does have a picnic basket packed up already, because he was gonna set up a picnic in Undyne’s house just to be an asshole. Humans are less fire-resistant than skeletons, so he’ll have to switch up his plans a little bit, but that’s OK.

Frisk sniffles. They gulp down a little strained sound.

* _Yeah_ , they say. * _Yeah, I…_

And then sans is hit with the full force of a human child, right in the ribs. Frisk burrows into his coat and clings desperately, shuddering and trying so hard not to cry again. Despite that, sans’s shirt is getting damp at the shoulder.

“heh. did we take a shortcut to undyne’s place? because i’m experiencing some ‘water-fall,’” sans says, bringing his hand up to pet Frisk’s scraggly hair. Frisk makes a torn-up sound between a laugh and a sob, but doesn’t retreat enough to respond. That’s alright. They’re OK.

sans pats their back and keeps petting their head. Their jagged breaths shake against him. They’re breathing. Humans only breathe when they’re alive and well.

“it’s ok, kiddo,” he hums. “long day, huh? we’re ok. it’s gonna be ok. you don’t have to worry about it right now. let someone help you, right? it’s ok.”

Frisk clings to his jacket and allows themself to be soothed, leaning into sans and letting him take most of their weight. He accepts his new role with pretty good grace, if he does say so himself—at least, he doesn’t let them fall, even though it might be funny. Maybe next time.

“take your time, buddy. i’ll wait for you, right? i promised, didn’t i?” sans soothes, not sure Frisk is even understanding what he’s saying. They don’t really need to—they just need someone right now. Strangely enough, they need _sans_ right now.

sans could get used to this, being needed. Not like he’s got anywhere to be in a hurry. He’ll let Frisk cry it out a bit, do some crisis-managing for the moment, and talk the rest over with Asgore and maybe Toriel later. Humans are, apparently, garbage; maybe monsters can keep this kid a little better. Sounds like it might be safer for Frisk to let human-Frisk “die” with their parents, anyway—they’ll be easier to protect as a monster, right? Paps has always wanted a little sibling; he’ll be thrilled. They could be a…weird skeleton monster born with flesh, or something? Magical accident? Something something Barrier magic?

They’ll figure out the details later. What matters now is that the kid’s safe, monsters will have an informational advantage when meeting humans, and sans can ensure that both of those things remain true.

And what matters _right now_ , in this moment, is that Frisk is doing their damnedest to hide in his jacket like he can somehow protect them from the world up there. He really can’t; Frisk’s DT is infinitely more powerful than him on his best day; but…they sure seem to believe he can. He doesn’t need to disillusion them. They can be a scared kid, here, for as long as they need to.

As far as the other humans go, or this “Hunt” group…well. Those guys don’t have the advantage of being unkillable time travelers—or even particularly high DT, from the sounds of it. Sounds like karma might be coming for them, anyway, so…

They can go ahead and _try_. sans will be waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Wild Hunt: *exists*  
> sans, finally meeting humans he can Judge for Crimes: you've dug your grave...now d i e i n i t .

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://hahanoiwont.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you for taking this ride with me :) please drop a comment if you enjoyed!
> 
> I don't know what I'll write next, but I've got a couple ideas in the world of Undertale, some in this 'verse and some not (and the obligatory one that hops universes, lol). If there's anything you'd like to see from me, please let me know!


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